Hershey, Pennsylvania is one of those rare places that lives up to the hype. As a Central PA REALTOR who grew up just down the road in Harrisburg, I have spent more weekends in Hershey than I can count, and I still find new reasons to go back. Summer is when this town really shines, with Hersheypark in full swing, Hershey Gardens at peak bloom, and warm evenings perfect for a beer on the patio at Tröegs.
Whether you are visiting for the first time or thinking about putting down roots in the Hershey or greater Harrisburg area, this three-day itinerary is the way I would tell a friend to do it. It mixes the big-name attractions everyone comes for with a few local favorites that make the weekend feel less like a tourist trip and more like a real escape.
Here is exactly how to spend a summer weekend in Hershey, PA.
Your Hershey Weekend at a Glance
• Friday: Check in at The Hotel Hershey, dinner and drinks at Tröegs Independent Brewing, evening Preview Plan visit to Hersheypark
• Saturday: Breakfast at The Hershey Pantry, full day at Hersheypark, dinner at The Chocolatier just outside the park gates
• Sunday: Brunch at The Circular, a stroll through Hershey Gardens, then home
Where to Stay: The Hotel Hershey
If you are going to do Hershey for a weekend, do it right and stay at The Hotel Hershey. Perched up on the hill overlooking the town, the property has been welcoming guests since 1933 and still has that grand old resort feel, with the Mediterranean-style architecture, the famous reflecting pool, and gardens that look like a postcard.
A few reasons it works perfectly for a summer weekend:
- Hotel guests get Sweet Start access to Hersheypark, which lets you into the park one full hour before the general public. This alone is worth the stay if you want to ride Skyrush or Candymonium with no line
- Hotel guests get complimentary shuttle service to Hersheypark, which means no parking lot stress
- Complimentary admission to Hershey Gardens is included with your stay, which is a perfect easy stop on your way out of town
- The pool complex is genuinely great for families, with a zero-entry pool and water slides
- The Spa at The Hotel Hershey is one of the best in Pennsylvania if you want to sneak in a chocolate-themed treatment
- The Circular and Harvest, two of the best restaurants in town, are right downstairs
Pro tip from a local: book early for summer weekends. Hershey fills up fast from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and rates climb the closer you get. If The Hotel Hershey is full or outside your budget, Hershey Lodge is the sister property and a strong second choice, especially for families.
Friday: Easing Into the Weekend
Late Afternoon: Check In and Settle
Aim to roll into Hershey by mid to late afternoon on Friday. Check in at The Hotel Hershey, drop your bags, and take a few minutes to walk the grounds. The view from the front lawn over the town and Hersheypark is one of my favorite spots in Central PA, especially with afternoon light hitting the rides in the distance.
Dinner and Drinks: Tröegs Independent Brewing
For Friday dinner, head over to Tröegs Independent Brewing on Hersheypark Drive. Tröegs is a Central PA institution and one of the best brewery experiences in the state. The Snack Bar serves wood-fired flatbreads, fresh sandwiches, and shareable plates that pair perfectly with whatever they have on tap.
A few things I always recommend at Tröegs:
- Order a flight if you cannot decide. The Mad Elf, Perpetual IPA, and Sunshine Pils are the classics for a reason
- If the Splinter Series is on the menu, try it. These are their barrel-aged and small-batch pours and they go fast
- The pretzel with beer cheese is non-negotiable as a starter
- Free self-guided brewery tours run during open hours, and they are genuinely interesting even if you are not a beer nerd
- If you want to go deeper, Tröegs also offers a paid guided tour that takes you behind the scenes into the brewhouse and packaging line with tastings along the way. Worth booking ahead if you are a beer fan, especially on a Friday night
It is a casual, family-friendly spot, so do not feel like you need to dress up. Get there a little early on a summer Friday because the patio fills up quick.
Friday Night: Hersheypark Preview Plan
Here is the move that makes this whole itinerary work: the Hersheypark Preview Plan. With a regular one-day ticket for the next day, you can get into Hersheypark the evening before, typically for the final 3 hours before close. This single feature is the smartest thing in the park’s pricing and very few first-time visitors know about it.
Why the Preview Plan is a game-changer:
- Crowds are noticeably lighter than peak Saturday afternoon
- You can knock out two or three of the headline coasters before you even start your full day
- The park lit up at night during summer is honestly more fun than midday
- It scratches the itch so the kids actually sleep on Friday night
My suggested Friday night strategy: head straight to where the big coasters live. Skyrush, Candymonium, and Wildcat’s Revenge usually have the longest daytime lines, so getting them out of the way Friday night frees up Saturday for everything else. Then grab a Hershey’s ice cream on the way out and call it a night.
Saturday: The Big Day
Breakfast: The Hershey Pantry
Start Saturday morning at The Hershey Pantry on East Chocolate Avenue. This is the local breakfast spot, the kind of place that has a line out the door on weekend mornings for good reason. If you are using Sweet Start at the park, get there right when they open at 7 AM so you can eat and still make early entry. Otherwise, expect a wait.
What to order:
- The stuffed French toast is the move if you have a sweet tooth
- Eggs Benedict is consistently excellent
- Their homemade muffins and scones are worth grabbing for the road
- Coffee is bottomless and they are quick with refills
Fuel up because you have a long day ahead.
Late Morning to Evening: Hersheypark
Use the shuttle from The Hotel Hershey to get over to Hersheypark for Sweet Start, the early entry perk that comes with your stay. That extra hour before the gates open to the public is the best time of the day in the park. The lines are short, the temperatures are cooler, and you can knock out a couple of headliners before the crowds even arrive. With Friday night’s preview already behind you and Sweet Start to start the morning, you have a real head start on Saturday.
A few local-tested tips for a summer Saturday at Hersheypark:
- Bring a refillable water bottle. Free water stations are everywhere and summer humidity in Central PA is no joke
- Hit The Boardwalk water park section in the early afternoon when the heat peaks. Bring a swimsuit under your clothes and pack a small towel
- The Carrousel and the older classic rides are great breaks for younger kids and worth doing for the nostalgia
- ZooAmerica is included with your park ticket, accessible right from inside the park, and a nice change of pace from rides
- If you have not done Chocolate World yet, swing in for the free Great American Chocolate Tour ride. It is air conditioned, free, and a Hershey rite of passage
If you want a sit-down lunch break inside the park, Spring Creek Smokehouse has solid barbecue. Otherwise, the food trucks scattered around the park have improved a lot in recent years and are quick.
Saturday Dinner: The Chocolatier
For Saturday dinner, head to The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio, located right outside the Hersheypark gates in the Chocolatetown area. The location is the magic here. You have two great options for how to play it.
Option one: ride until you are ready for a real meal, then walk out of the park, eat, and head home for the night.
Option two, which is what I recommend if your group still has gas in the tank: take a dinner break in the middle of your park day. Walk out around 5 or 6 PM, sit down for a real meal, then head right back into the park to ride into the evening. Your hand stamp gets you back in, and the park feels totally different at night with the lights on.
The Chocolatier itself is a full-service restaurant with a fun, family-friendly vibe and decor built around past and present pieces from the Hersheypark ride collection. The second-story patio and bar have great views back into the park. The food leans family fare with chocolate-themed twists, and the cocktails and milkshakes are part of the experience.
Things to order:
- The Ferris Wheel Sampler. It is the signature shareable appetizer and big enough for the table
- One of the over-the-top milkshakes if the kids are with you, or a specialty martini if they are not
- Hershey’s Chocolate Barbecue Wings if you want the most on-brand thing on the menu
- Save room for dessert. The pastry program here is genuinely good
Reservations are strongly recommended on summer Saturday nights. You can book online or call ahead. Walk-ins are welcome, but expect a wait if you are showing up cold around dinner rush.
Sunday: A Slower, Sweeter Goodbye
Brunch: The Circular
Sunday morning, treat yourself to brunch at The Circular, the signature restaurant at The Hotel Hershey. Named for its semi-circular shape and famous for its chandelier and stained-glass windows, the room itself is half the experience.
The Sunday brunch buffet is a Hershey tradition. Expect:
- A carving station with prime rib and ham
- Made-to-order omelets and waffles
- A serious pastry and dessert spread, as you might expect from a Hershey restaurant
- Champagne and mimosas if you want to lean in
Reservations are essential. Brunch is one of the most popular meals at the hotel and walk-ups are tough on a summer Sunday.
Late Morning: Hershey Gardens
After brunch, walk or drive the short distance over to Hershey Gardens. The gardens are right next door to The Hotel Hershey and easy to hit before you head home. Allow about an hour and a half to two hours.
Here is another perk worth knowing: Hotel Hershey guests get complimentary admission to Hershey Gardens. Just show your room key at the entrance. Between Sweet Start at Hersheypark, the shuttle, and free garden access, the value of staying at the hotel really starts to add up.
Highlights to look for in summer:
- The Rose Garden, with thousands of blooms in peak form from June through August
- The Butterfly Atrium, an indoor tropical space with hundreds of free-flying butterflies
- The Children’s Garden, which is more interactive and engaging than the name suggests
- The Tree Trail, with shaded benches that are a welcome break on a hot day
It is the perfect last stop. Quieter than the rest of the weekend, easy on tired legs, and the kind of place you leave already half-planning a trip back.
Practical Tips for a Summer Weekend in Hershey
Getting There
Hershey sits in Derry Township in Dauphin County, about 15 minutes east of Harrisburg, two hours west of Philadelphia, and roughly two hours northeast of Baltimore. From most of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, this is an easy drive.
When to Go
Mid-June through mid-August is peak season and the warmest. Late May, early June, and the back half of August have slightly thinner crowds while still being warm enough to enjoy the water rides and gardens. Avoid the week leading up to July 4th if crowds are a deal-breaker for you.
What to Pack
- Comfortable walking shoes that you do not mind getting wet
- Swimsuit and a quick-dry towel for The Boardwalk
- Sunscreen and a hat. Hersheypark has limited shade in some sections
- A light layer for evenings, especially if you are doing the Preview Plan
- A small backpack for water bottles, snacks, and souvenirs
Budget Tips
- The Preview Plan is included with one-day tickets and effectively gives you nearly two days of park access for the price of one
- Chocolate World is free to enter, and so is the Great American Chocolate Tour ride
- Hershey Gardens admission is reasonable and includes the Butterfly Atrium
- Skip park lockers if you do not need them. They add up fast
Thinking About Calling Central PA Home?
Plenty of folks come to Hershey for a weekend and start wondering what it would be like to live nearby. Hershey itself, Hummelstown, Palmyra, Hummelstown’s neighboring boroughs, and the surrounding parts of Derry Township and Dauphin County all offer that small-town Central PA feel within minutes of everything you experienced this weekend.
If a Central PA move is on your radar, even just casually, that is exactly what The Koury Team helps with every day. As lifelong locals and full-time REALTORS based right here in the Harrisburg area, we know the neighborhoods, the schools, and the lifestyle that comes with calling this region home.
Have questions about Hershey-area real estate, or want recommendations for your trip? Reach out anytime through HarrisburgForSale.com. We are always happy to talk shop, swap restaurant tips, or help you take a closer look at what life in Central PA could be.
